Package for cigarettes and matches



March 21, 1961 P. BLOCK PACKAGE FOR CIGARETTES AND MATCHES 2 Sheefs-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 21, 1958 INVENTOR. PW/FO 3406/1 March 21, 1961 P. BLOCK 75,890

PACKAGE FOR CIGARETTES AND MATCHES Filed Nov. 21, 1958 2 Sheers-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. PAP/P0 BZUC/f BY haw rf/xa/ PACKAGE FOR CIGARETTES AND MATCHES Pedro Block, Sierra Madre 540, Mexico City, Mexico Filed Nov. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 775,443

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-48) The present invention relates to packages.

More particularly, the present invention relates to packages for cigarettes and matches.

At the present time it is customary to provide separate packages for cigarettes and matches. This results in considerable inconvenience caused not only by requiring the user to handle at least two separate packages but also by the fact that the matches become misplaced or exhausted While cigarettes are still available so that the user may have cigarettes without matches or vice versa.

Although it has already been proposed to provide a common package for cigarettes and matches, the common packages provided up to the present time have not solved the problem satisfactorily. For example, the matches may be connected to the exterior of the cigarette package, and the result is that the matches are always exposed and provide an irregularly shaped object which does not fit easily into a pocket and which is awkward to handle.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks by providing a combined cigarette and match package where the matches do not detract from the desired qualities of the package.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combined package of the above type wherein the matches as well as the cigarettes are protected from exterior influences when the matches and cigarettes are not used.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combined package of the above type Which is of simple inexpensive construction and which can be easily and quickly manufactured and assembled.

With the above objects in view, the present invention includes a container having a rear wall of a predetermined height, a stationary front wall having at least a portion of the top edge thereof of lower height than said rear wall and forming with said rear wall a cigarette compartment; a flap member having a lower fastening portion fastened to the lower portion of said front wall and an upper portion pivotably fastened to said lower portion and designed to pivot to and away from said front wall, said front wall and pivotable portion forming a match compartment; and a cover designed to engage the top edge of said pivotable upper portion thus holding the matches firmly against the front wall when the container is closed.

The novel features. which are considered as characteristic'for the invention are, set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself however, both atent O 2,975,890 Patented Mar. 21, 1961 Fig. 3 depicts in a perspective view similar to Fig. l

a different arrangement for the matches in the container;

Fig. 4 illustrates in perspective the cigarette container shown in Fig. 1, but with the cover and match compartment closed;

Fig. 5 shows in perspective the cigarette container shown in Fig. 1 when the cigarettes have been inserted and the cover is open;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the container shown in Fig. 1 after about half of the cigarettes have been consumed.

Fig. 1 shows a container which in the illustrated example is of the crush-proof type having a cigarette compartment and a match compartment. The container is provided with a so-called flip-top cover.

A cigarette container 10 illustrated in Fig. 1 has a rectangular rear wall 12. Within the container 10 is a front insert 11 having side walls 13 which are at right angles to and extend from the lateral ends of thevrear wall. The side walls 13 have a top, straight edge portion 14 which is at the level of the top of the rear wall, and a top, inclined edge portion 15 designed to slant downward when the box is standing right-side up. The front insert 11 has a front wall 16 at right angles to the side walls 13 and parallel to the rear wall .12. This front wall 16 has an open collar portion 17 formed by a pair of shoulders 18 at each end of the top of the front wall, and a neck 19 depending from the shoulders 18.

To reinforce the container illustrated in Fig. 2 and give it a crush-proof characteristic, two side reinforcing walls 20 are provided, so constructed that their width is just a fraction larger than the width of the corresponding side walls 13 of the front insert 11 to which they are fastened, with glue. However, the reinforcing side walls 26 do not extend upwards in the same way as the side walls 13 of the front insert 11. The rear end of the reinforcing side walls near the rear wall of the container extends upwards to the same height, or almost to the same height as the side wall of the front insert 11, whereas the front end of the reinforcing side walls is much lower, going to only about one-half to three-quarters of the Way up the side of the container Wall. The top edge 21 of the reinforcing side walls 20 slopes downward towards the front of the container.

A front wall flap member 22 is provided having a lower fastening portion 23 firmly fastened or glued to the bottom of the front insert and an upper flap portion 24 having free ends, pivotably fastened to the lower portion 23 and foldable away from the front wall 16.

The matches 25 may be atfixed either to the front wall 16 of the insert 11 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6 or matches 26 can be affixed to the upper flap portion 24, in which case they will be inclined forward of the front wall of the container when the flap 24 is bent forward as illustrated in Fig. 3. Other types and styles of matches 27 as illustrated in Fig. 2 may be used. V

Advantageously, a strip of friction material 22a can be fastened, to the lower portion 23 of the flap member. In this way, the match-containing and friction-paper containing flap member maybe easily manufactured.

The cover 29, which is of the flip-top type has a rectangular top 30 slightly larger in area than the horizontal area defined by the front insert, and is intended to extend over the upper flap portion 24 or matches 25, 26 or 27. The side walls 31 of the cover are designed so that the edges 31a will mate with the top edges 21 of the reinforcing side walls 20. A front wall 32 of the cover extends downward a sufiicient distance to cover the upper edge of the upper flap portion 24 and the tip of the matches thus holding the matches between the flap and the front wall 16 of the front insert 11.

On the upper flap portion 24 in Figs. 1, and 6, there is provided an inside lip 24 over which the lower edge of the front wall 32 of the cover 29 will overlie while meeting with the upper edge of the upper flap portion 24 of the container front flap wall member 22, where the matches 25 are secured between the front wall 16 of the front insert and the front wall member 22 of the container, in the match-containing compartment therebetween and to lie flush against the front Wall of the insert while permitting the flap portion 24 to pivot outwardly from the matches. This lip 24' is necessary to keep the flap portion 24 closed. In the form of the-invention shown in Fig. 2, the stiffness of the hinge is essential to keep flap 24 closed. In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 the matches 26 are secured to the flap portion 24 so that their tips project upwardly above the upper edge of the flap portion and the matches for certain stiffness so that as the lower edge of the front portion 32 of the cover overlies the tips of the matches the flap portion 24 is held by the matches and the flip top cover in the closed position. The combined height of the rear'wall 12 of the container and a rear wall 33 of the cover 29 is less than the combined height of the front wall 22 of the container including the lip 24' in Fig. 1, or the tips of the matches as in Fig. 3, and the front wall 32 of the flip top cover 29.

Thus, the inner paper Wrapper ofcigarettes 28 in the container is readily available as illustrated in Fig. 5. When the package is opened as shown in Fig. 6, the cigarettes 28' and the matches are also readily available. After some cigarettes are consumed, the package will look like Fig. 6.

It is to be observed therefore that the present invention provides for a combined cigarette-and-match package, comprising in combination, a container 10 having a rear wall 12 of a predetermined height; front insert 11 having a stationary front wall 16 with at least a portion of the top edge 17 thereof of lower height than said rear wall 12; a flap member 22 having a lower fastening portion 23 fastened to the lower portion of said front wall 16 and an upper flap portion 24 pivotably fastened to said lower portion 23 and designed to pivot .to and away from said front wall 16, said front wall 16 and pivotable portion 24 forming a match compartment; and a cover designed to reach the top edge of said upper flap portion 24 engaging said portion or the matches 26 thus holding the matches firmly against the front wall 16 when the contaiuer is closed. Advantageously friction paper 22a is placed on one of the outer portions of the container, e.g., on the flap member 22. The side walls 13 of the front insert 11 which extend substantially to the height of the rear wall 12, have reinforcing container side walls 20, the top edge of which is of a lower height than the top of said side wall 13.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in combined cigarette and match packages, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the matches may be glued to the inside surface of reinforcing front wall 23, and the strip of friction, match-igniting material may be located on one of the other walls of the container.

It will be understood that each of the elements de- 4 scribed above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of packages differing from the types described above.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitutes essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: 7

1. A combined cigarette and match package comprising an outer paper container having a rear wall of a predetermined height, side walls, a bottom wall and a front wall, said side, rear and bottom walls being fixedly connected, said front wall being of less height than said rear wall and connected to said bottom wall and having a flap portion throughout a major part of its length separated from the front edges of the said side walls to perrnit pivotal movement toward and away from said front edges of said side walls about a horizontal axis parallel to said bottom wall, a front insert having side walls fixedly secured to said container side walls and having a front wall with a top edge of a lower height than said container rear wall, a flip top cover comprising a top wall, a rear wall pivotally connected to the top of said rear wall of said container, side walls and a front wall of a greater height than said rear wall of said cover, matches secured between the inner side of said front wall of the container and the outer side of said front insert, the combined height of the rear walls of said cover and said container being slightly less than the combined heights of said front walls of said cover and said container and the matches whereby the lower portion of said front Wall of said cover overlies the matches and meets the upper portion of said front wall of said container when in closed position, said insert separating said container into a cigarette containing compartment consisting of said rear, side and bottom walls and the inner side of said insert, and a match containing compartment thereby being provided between the front wall of said insert and the inner side of said container front wall, said cover serving to close both cigarette and match-containing compartments with the engagement of its front wall of the cover over the top edge of said front wall of said container serving to hold the cigarettes and the container front wall against movement about its pivotal axis away from the front edges of said container side walls.

2. A combined cigarette and match package as defined in claim 1, wherein the top edge of said front wall of said container has a transverse lip extending thereabove and said front wall of said cover when in the closed position overlies said lip and the matches and meets in abutting relation against the upper edge of the front wall of the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 488,910 Warren Dec. 27, 1892 1,037,237 Gleason Sept. 3, 1912 2,033,332 Ferguson Mar. 10, 1936 2,447,787 Atkinson Aug. 24, 1948 2,809,747 Fowler Oct. 15, 

